Cleaning process for hypodermic needles and holder for the needles



March 15, 1955 J ROSE 2,704,266

* CLEANING PROCESS FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES AND HOLDER F0 HE E DLES FiledFeb. l

United States Patent CLEANING PROCESS FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES AND HOLDERFOR THE NEEDLES Jay Rose, New York, N. Y.

Application February 9, 1953, Serial No. 335,932

3 Claims. (Cl. 134-22) This invention relates to the cleaning of usedhypodermic needles and more particularly to an improved method inlocating clogged needles in hospitals where as many as three thousandmay be handled darly.

The present method is not satisfactory. It is time corrsuming, tedious,a health hazard and often results in damage to the needles. The needlesare piled up in a heap in a basin which may contain water or a detergentsolution and soaked therein for a long time, usually overnight. Theneedles are top-heavy because of the needle hubs and the sharp pointsare in all directions, some pressed into hubs of other needles orpressed against metal with resultant bending and dulling of points. Thisrenders some needles unfit for further use and some requiring morefrequent sharpening. Before the needles are sterilized each must bechecked to be certain that none are clogged or obstructed which oftenoccurs from hardened blood left in the needle tube after use. It is atthis time, when each needle is picked up out of the heap, for stylettingor clearing with other means which may be with water or air pressure orboth, that the handler often is stuck by the needle points and there isalways the danger of possible infection from punctured skin. Alsohandling the needles one at a time from a batch which may contain athousand takes up considerable time.

One object of my present invention is to speed the whole process ofcleaning hypodermic needles thereby saving time, labor and money.

Another object is to prevent damage to needles in the cleaning process.

Still another object is to eliminate the health hazard in the cleaningprocess of hypodermic needles.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom the description and drawing which hereinafter appear.

According to my invention a thousand needles may be used for cleaningand checking for clogged needles at one time, the needles separated onefrom the other and needle points out of the way. Instead of stylettingthe needles one at a time I place the needles in a device wherein theneedles hang by the hubs and use the hubs as indicators for clear andclogged or obstructed needles. I put water or other suitable liquid inthe hubs. Hubs retaining the liquid obviously indicate clogged orobstructed needle tubes. Empty hubs at once indicate clear tubes. Thusin a matter of seconds clogged needles, if any, are found. These may atonce he styletted or removed from my device for later attention. If anyneedles are found to be clogged and are at once cleared, the liquid inthe hubs that are styletted disappears providing proof that theobstruction has been removed, then all needles together with the devicewhich holds them are submerged in a suitable detergent solution forneedle-metal cleaning after which the device is removed from thecleaning solution and the needles rinsed with water. In a very shorttime a thousand needles are now cleaned, all known to be free from anyobstruction and are ready for sterilizing. What is now accomplished inminutes, with my invention, has heretofore taken hours.

For a clear understanding of my invention reference should be had to theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device orholder for the needles with parts broken away and parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a view of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view with parts in section and parts broken away.

A 2,704,266 Patented Mar. 15, 19 55 In Fig. l, a device is shown forholding the needles which is made up of an upper and lower plate, andboth held in place by bent sections at the ends which are securedtogether. Handles are secured to the sides. Legs extend below and arenot shown in this view.

The legs are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper platehas holes and thelower plate has narrow slots centered beneath. The hypodermic needletubes are passed through the top holes and through the slot below. Thehubs rest on the lower plate and the metal of the upper plate whichsurrounds the hubs prevent the hubs from toppling over. For efliciencythe hubs must be in at least nearly perpendicular position. It is nowseen that the device or holder is simple in construction and inexpensiveto make. It can be made large enough to hold a thousand needles. Theneedles are at all times handled by the hubs, when inserted in theholder and later when removed from the holder. The needles are apartfrom each other, the points away from each other. For metal cleaning,the detergent solution may be in a pan having proper dimensions or itmay be in a sink. Since the solution would be reusable it is advisablethat a pan be used. A pan also may be used at first for finding cloggedneedles, the holder with needles submerged in liquid in a pan and thenraised out. A pan may also be used for the rinsing finally given theneedles. These pans are not shown in the drawing. A stylet, which is athin wire, commonly used for testing and clearing clogged needles isalso not shown in the drawing. In Fig. 1, the top plate is indicated bynumeral 1, holes by 2, top flange by 3, lower plate by 4, slot in lowerplate by 5 and handle by 6. Another construction may be thin metalstrips with narrow holes therein long enough to hold the needle tubes invertical position. The end result is the same.

In Fig. 2, the top plate is indicated by numeral 1, hole by 2, topflange by 3, lower plate by 4, handles by 6, lower flange by 7, needlehub by 10 and lower part of hub by 12.

In Fig. 3, the top plate is indicated by numeral 1, hole by 2, outerflange by 3, lower plate by 4, slot by 5, handle by 6, inner flange by7, top of needle hub by 10, lower part of needle hub by 12, needle tubeor canula by 14 and legs by 15.

While the holder as shown has means for preventing the hubs fromtoppling over I do not limit myself to a device with this feature. Withslow and careful handling any type of holder may be used. Without meansfor preventing the hubs from toppling over the efliciency of the processis lessened since any sudden movement of the holder will cause thetop-heavy needles to lean perhaps too much if not completely toppleover. To obtain full benefit from my process the hubs should be insubstantially perpendicular position at all times. It should beunderstood that in a batch of a thousand needles there may be only oneclogged needle, or a few or none at all. be known to be clear beforesterilizing. With means for preventing hubs from leaning too much andfrom toppling over, assurance is bad that all hubs in the holder havebeen checked, since liquid in hubs in upright position is easily seenand these needles, if any, made free from obstruction.

It is now readily seen that with my invention the whole hypodermicneedle problem is solved in a simple and easy way. After the needles arerinsed the holder may be placed in a suitable location for needle dryingor the holder dipped in alcohol for quicker drying of the needles. Allneedles in the holder may be sterilized at one time. Small holders maybe made and used'for each size needle. The cleaning is speeded, damageto needles in the cleaning operation eliminated and punctured skin fromthe sharp points eliminated, the needles at all times being handled bythe hubs.

The form of the device or needle holder shown and described herein is tobe considered merely as representative. It will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and principles of the invention or thescope of the appended clauns. Any

Every needle in the batch however must.

suitable detergent solution may be used. Some may clean faster thanothers.

I claim:

1. In a method for the cleaning of hypodermic needles, the steps whichcomprise assembling a plurality of needles requiring cleaning,maintaining said assembled needles with the points thereof in spacedrelation and in substantially vertical position with the hubs thereofupwards while (1) completely submerging said needles in a liquid bathand (2) separating the needles from the bath thereby permitting theneedles to gravity drain whereby the presence of liquid in the hubs ofcertain of the needles indicates clogged portions therein, andseparating the so-indicated clogged needles from the remaining needles.

2. Ina method for the cleaning of hypodermic needles, the steps whichcomprise assembling a plurality of needles requiring cleaning,maintaining said assembled needles with the points thereof in spacedrelation and in substantially vertical position with the hubs thereofupwards while (1) completely submerging said needles in a liquid bathand (2) separating the needles from the bath thereby permitting theneedles to gravity drain whereby the presence of liquid in the hubs ofcertain of the needles indicates clogged portions therein, and removingthe obstruction in the so-indicated clogged needles.

3. In a method for the cleaning of hypodermic needles the steps whichcomprise assembling a plurality of needles requiring cleaning,maintaining said assembled needles with the points thereof in spacedrelation and in substantially vertical position with the hubs thereofupwards while 1) completely submerging said needles in a liquid bath and(2) separating the needles from the bath thereby permitting the needlesto gravity drain whereby the presence of liquid in the hubs of certainof the needles indicates clogged portions therein, removing theobstruction in the so-indicated clogged needles, thereafter submergingsaid needles in a detergent liquid bath to clean said needles,separating the needles from the detergent bath and rinsing said needlesto remove adhering detergent liquid therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A METHOD FOR THE CLEANING OF HYPODERMIC NEEDLES, THE STEPS WHICHCOMPRISE ASSEMBLING A PLURALITY OF NECDLES REQUIRING CLEANING,MAINTAINING SAID ASSEMBLED NECDLES WITH THE POINTS THEREOF IN SPACEDRELATION AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION WITH THE HUBS THEREOFUPWARDS WHILE (1) COMPLETELY SUBMERGING SAID NEEDLES IN A LIQUID BATHAND (2) SEPARATING THE NEEDLES FROM THE BATH THEREBY PERMITTING THENEEDLES TO GRAVITY DRAIN WHEREBY THE PRESENCE OF LIQUID IN THE HUBS OFCERTAIN OF THE NEEDLES INDICATES CLOGGED PORTION THEREIN, AND SEPARATINGTHE SO-INDICATED CLOGGED NEEDLES FROM THE REMAINING NEEDLES.